Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-26

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executive departments were inaugurated last sum-
mer In the War Department. Now that the quail.
ncations Of all the clerks In the different bureaus
| OF that Department have been tested and tine re-
suits known in individual cases it Is interesting
| to inquire what effect the examinations have on
the service and II the new rules attain the object
| for which they were designed. The recent inves-
legations OF STAR reporter In this direction,
| among both the officials Of the War Department
and the Civil Service Commissioners, showed q d.
verstty OF opinion Some OF the former think that
| the examinations do not show anything not
already known about the merits OF clerks,
and have no other effect than to worry and de-
Official who was not in favor OF civil-service ex-
animation for admission into the service 1t keeps
out dead wood and admits only those OF q certain
degree OF intelligence but above all IL relieves the
Departments OF the former dtstractfng pressure OF
influence to secure Offices Politicians have learned
that they can do nothing by interceding with the
Department heads for appointment through favor
1ttsm, and when vacancy occurs now IL Is q
routine piece OF business to secure the cerication
OF four successful candidates Of intelligence and
to select from among them q man without regard
to politics and friends. While acknowledging the
doe 70 Sne vice in TINS
examination does not definitely settle the Ques-
ton OF qualification. The probationary term OF
test OF clerks efficiency. and that this is as it
should be. No more, they think, can mans tit
ness for promotion or retention be ascertained by
true test is his record at IFS desk from in the
morning until in the afternoon. Arguing from this
standpoint 1t Is not thought that the promotion
rules really attain the end for which they were
designed.
THE COST OF THE EXAMINATIONS.
The examinations were commenced about the
middle or June and were not completed until late
In October although the month OF September was
omitted. About one thousand and twenty clerks
were examined The board OF examiners was COM
posed OF prominent clerks In the different bureaus
fourteen In ALL II Is claimed that In order TO con-
aacu these examinations the Department was de-
for about three months and half to the detriment
OF the public service The bureau chiefs objected
instance, most trustworthy and efficient assist
ants None OF the members OF the board receive
aealary less than 81 800 In the first place. there
the Government az the lowest estimate In salaries
$780, as their attention was entirely withdrawn
from their regular Official duties. The ten hun
dred and twenty clerks examined were absent from
their desks one day. The grades examined included
the third second, first and 900 classes low saa
ry average would be 81, 800. II there were a such
grade, and the Government paid therefor e, aO6 IN
In salary for which 1t received no return MAKING in
als $50 90 as the actual cost of holding the exai
nations for the War Department. IL is Claimed.
however, that this cost was nothing in COMPARISON
to the injury suffered by the service from the de-
morailzed condition into which the entire clerical
force was thrown by worry and fear Minds were
distracted, duties neglected and mistakes made
from the time OF the announcement OF the COM
was crazed, and is now in the insane hospitaI AS
recompenSe IL is thought by some that the Gov
eminent service has received little II any benetit
STANDING" AND EFFICIENCY.
The fact that the scholastic standing of the
clerks as established by examination corresponds
In the majority OF cases with the efficiency rating
by the clerks immediate Chiefs these persons say
simply shows that the examinations are unneces,
sary and that selection for promotion by the heads
OF bureaus Is equally SATISFACTORY When the
SCHOLASTIC IA eff
do not agree they think that the latter is the more
reliable and should determine his fitness or unfit
ness. An instance Is cited showing this to be so,
An employe In the Quartermaster Generals Office
1aled 10 secure mark OF Is In his examination
ana YET tne Quarternaster General says that he
hasn't clerk In his office who can perform the
duties required OF the man, who didn't know as
much about books as he did about the business to
which he had devoted his entire attention. The
claim that the examinations prevent fayoritism
IN making promotions the dissenting officials only
partially recognize.
LATITUDE IN MAKING PROMOTIONS
The secretary is prevented from promoting
clerk who failed to get a percentage OF - in his
examination, but as those who failed are very few
only about one in every f1fteen-the Secretary has
nearly as much opportunity to show favoritiSrn as
formerly, as he is not compelled to select those
VINO passed the best examination. The Civil
Service commissioners include In the list of elioi-
Dies which they furnish the Department all VINO
STOOD above %, giving the Secretary nearly the
same latitude In MS selections for promotions as
ne nad before the new rules were enforced. A
clerk who barely passed is just eligible for pro-
motion as one who passed over 90, and there is
noIning 10 prevent the head OF bureau from rec
omnending him for promotion and the Secretary
from approving the recommendation. According
10 the new rules clerk who has failed is COM
PEELED to undergo another examination and I'm
case OF q second failure. "he may be reduced or
dismissed" by the Secretary. 1t would appear from
TINS the dismissal Is not compulsory, and the
clerks stand nearly as good chance OF both re-
naming In the service and OF being promoted as
formerly.
CLERKS GETTING OUT OF RUTs
Other officials OF the Department, while admit
ting that the rules fail to certain extent in pro-
viding for the promotion OF the nttest, claim that
value TO the service Men who have been long in
Government service work In ruts and take no
active interest In matters beyond their routine
duties realization OF the necessity OF their being
informed In other directions has the effect OF
awakening their faculties and keeping them posted
about matters that they had long neglected there.
Dy rendering their services OF greater value to the
Government. Besides the examination papers OF
the clerks enable the chiefs OF bureaus or the Sec
lions, and to select men who show by their exami.
nation papers aptitude for certain kinds OF work.
They also think that the clerks realize what is
meant by efficiency, and are more punctuaI and
attentive TO duties than formerly.
Mr.. OBERLYs OPINIONS
Civil Service Commissioner Oberly, when asked
by THE STAR reporter for the views OF the Civil
Service Commission upOn the results OF the ey
aminations, said that they were applied to the
War department as an experiment, but that The
commissioners are highly gratified Tor the success
was beyond their expectations. They are now
Satlsned That the regulations can be applied to
other Departments without "rv radical changes
When his attention was called to the Objections
which nave been cited, he admitted that there
qualify them and to show what he considered
many benefits to the service.
THE PRINCIPAL OBJECT
OF examination for promotion was obtained he
said, In satisfying a public opinion or demand
that the entire clerical force OF a Department
should undergo a test to show their schO,astic
qualincat1ons, as well as the candidates for adms-
sion to the public service. While ACKNOWLEDGING
that the rules DO not entirely prevent favoritism
In making promotions. they do prevent he sand
the promotion or clerks who are wholly untitled
for advancement Heretofore he said the man
least quallned Tor preferment has always been the
one most jealous In playing the sycOphant and in
securing influence to aid In ADVANCING him
over the heads Of his more deserving fellow
clerks This man, who is Invariably aware
Of hts:denciencies can no longer sail under ralse
cOlOrS He may be only one out OF every fifteen
but Mr.. Oberiy thought ft well worth considerin1
that this single one Is prevented from paininS
undeServed advancement. The expense OF hold
ing the examinations, loss OF time, and demoraIi
zatton OF the clerical force would not be repeated
for, after the first wholesale examination those
have recently entered the department and Served
the probationary term. The clerks in other
departments realize that they are not TO he MT m
the rack and tortured, and will not become de.
mOFalized.
sALUTARY RPFHCT OF THR NJ .vr~.r,ov.